The Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO) is seeking construction proposals for the Centre of Expertise, which will be built in Ignace next year.
The facility, which will be almost 55,000 square feet, is expected to accommodate 160 to 200 NWMO employees.
Christina Van Drunen, NWMO vice-president of operations, said the design aims to “blend into the natural environment,” and will include flexible, multipurpose and educational spaces within an accessible location connected to community amenities.
“We are very proud of this design, and selecting a construction firm is a major step towards breaking ground next year,” Van Drunen told The Chronicle-Journal.
“The centre will establish the NWMO’s long-term operational presence in the region while supporting training, innovation and world-class expertise for our work.”
Kim Baigrie, mayor of Ignace, called the Centre of Expertise a significant negotiated commitment that the Township of Ignace included in the hosting agreement, which was signed in 2024.
She said the agreement aimed to support the community in achieving its goals for the future through investments related to Canada’s used fuel repository.
“As we enter this next stage of the development of the Centre of Expertise in Ignace, we look forward with enthusiasm as we prepare to change the landscape of this community,” Baigrie said.
Development of the centre also represents an investment of roughly $50 million in the community as well as sustained economic opportunity in Northwestern Ontario for generations to come.
Vince Ponka, NWMO Indigenous and regional communications manager, said the project will remain committed to local procurement and aims to drive local benefits whenever possible.
“Firms bidding for the contract will have an advantage based on their proximity to the host communities of Wabigoon Lake Ojibway Nation and Ignace,” Ponka said. “Since this project means that the NWMO will be working in the Northwest for more than a century, it’s important to make links with regional and local businesses to support our work.”
Ponka added that they expect shovels in the ground in early 2027.
The request for proposals closes on Sept. 10, with the anticipated award date of the contract in early January of 2027.
